m e g a p e r l s

Portrait of couple, by megaperls.

Enormous amount of dust on this latest batch of developed negatives, foirtunately not visible here. Have to improve my darkroom technique.

Interesting photo - if it wasn’t for a blatant focussing error. It is not visible here, but the original image has the focus on the bag on the bike, and it does not reach the people. A real shame. That’s what large format is like.

Interesting photo - if it wasn’t for the accidental double exposure. A ghost image of me is right in the centre, and a piece of lamp in the sky. That’s what large format is like.

つくし野ビアパーティ, by megaperls.

This picture was taken last Saturday during our annual “beer party” in the area we live in. It is again organised by the residents themselves (mostly men over 60) and great fun, although we always feel a little out of place in terms of age. Still, some families are there with kids and people are generally very curious when we show up and strike up a conversation.

Since it is close to home and I am in the middle of enjoying the field camera, I decided to take it and try out flash. What a bulky outfit to carry! The missus does not look pleased. The Metz CT-4 hammerhead is huge, and the battery pack must add another 2kg. Stuffed into the backpack and wires leading out to the rig, I looked like doing a wielding job or similar. It is madness. But a rewarding one. Upon arrival II regretted my choice, but soon got into the swing. I only took one pack of 10 sheets of Fuji FP-3000B45 by mistake so I had to be economical. First shot wasted due to incorrect infinity setting of the front standard because I had fixed a bellows pinhole the night before. Then the taiko drum shot — mmmh, this is not looking too bad, I thought. Older men start approaching: “Is this a Linhof?”. Kids come and look at what the heck I am doing. Families who know us look interested and I offer to take their photo. They turn out wonderfully although people seem surprised about the lack of colour. Anyone can do compact digital, me thinks, but I can deliver decently sized prints right here, just mind the poisonous chemicals, kids. Too bad that I cannot keep a copy for myself. I shoot the Hawaiians and the beer guys, the slow sync works better and better. Shutter speed is now at half a second or even a second, and the camera is surprisingly steady as you can see.

This should end my practice with the setup using instant film. The immediate results were extremely helpful sussing this thing out and I must have burned through 5-6 packs at around 4000 yen each. This is clearly not a cheap undertaking, but I will skip proper lunch for the next 3 weeks to make up for it. Time to move to sheet film proper and get serious.

Akihabara lockers, by Dirk Rösler.

Some first shots using the ‘handheld instant large format rig’.

お祭り, by Dirk Rösler.

Summer festival right on our doorstep, organised by residents. Stalls also operated by residents which means no junk food and dodgy people selling cheap plastic toys.

I have to say I am particularly enjoying the summer festivals this year. On Sunday morning we went round with various o-mikoshi (portable shrine). They had different ones, one for each group of children, probably made by themselves. They were all replica of the main wooden one which is carried by adults. On the way around the neighbourhood, residents were out splashing the procession with water from the hose or bowls. The kids were screaming in delight. Along that the repeated cries wa shoi!, which I don’t know the meaning of. A lot of fun. I am looking forward to next year with Theobald a little older so he may be able to run around more…

Lockers at dusk, by Dirk Rösler. 1s at f16 on Polaroid 79

I don’t know why I keep shooting large format. It is cumbersome, heavy, slow, expensive, prone to error and the final results could probably be achieved with even the digi on a tripod [but then perhaps not]. Yet, it is so enjoyable somehow and I have successfully tried several times lugging out the monorail and tripod while being on the road with baby. It just about works.

Yesterday the missus went out for an afternoon to see some friends and it was just me and Theobald at home alone. So when we took a walk I decided to take the view camera with me and see if I could pull it off, shooting large format while being with a one-year old.

We took a walk around the neighbourhood (not using baby car, I have to add). It was about to rain again and getting dark at around 5pm. I almost did not even manage to set it all up, but in the end I shot two pictures, one at an ongoing football match between university teams and this one. I made the interesting observation that not being able to fully concentrate on taking pictures is quite challenging, but at the same time it prevents me complicating matters and ‘think’ only of essentials. This intuitive way of working seems to cut out a lot of the preconceived things going on in the mind, things that normally get in the way of takings pictures freely. The constrained way of working makes you take risks, which is a good thing.

Hakone, by Dirk Rösler.

Taken back in 2004…

Ginza, by Dirk Rösler.

Narita tempel pagoda, by Dirk Rösler.

This is Neopan SS, stand-developed in the same way.